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Negotiating Learning and Identity in Higher Education: Access, Persistence and Retention
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While access to higher education has increased globally, student retention has become a major...
A Day at the Racists
1.0
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A Day at the Racists is a stunning new piece of political theatre from award-winning playwright...
Who Do You Think You Are? Encyclopedia of Genealogy: The Definitive Reference Guide to Tracing Your Family History
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From the makers of the award-winning BBC series and Dr Nick Barratt, the UK's leading authority on...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated My Bloody Valentine (1981) in Movies
Jan 5, 2021
My Bloody Valentine is an entertaining and somewhat charming slasher that released just as the sub genre was really gaining some traction.
Unfortunately, it suffers from a couple of things - a low budget that shows at times, and secondly, cuts made due to the MPAA in order to secure an R Rating. The wide released cut version loses its edge a little, an edge that really makes this movie stick in your brain.
The uncut version has some truly staggering gore effects here and there. All practical of course, and it's the kind of violence that genuinely adds to the overall experience.
MBV has plenty of positives to shout about - the on location shoot in a small mining town in Nova Scotia really adds a lot of personality to the back drop, and the whole second half of the film was filmed in a genuine mine. It feels authentic and genuine as a result.
The characters are all working class regular Joes as well, and feel relatable.
The killer, [spoiler alert] AKA Harry Warden, has of course earned a place in horror history. The gas mask and jumpsuit get up he wears alongside his humble pickaxe makes for a minimalist yet memorable villain.
There are better slashers out there for sure, but My Bloody Valentine is still a pretty damn good watch, especially on Valentine's Day - it works as a film to get cosy too with someone special, whilst simultaneously being a good tonic for someone who fucking hates everything about it. A stroke of genius in that respect!
Unfortunately, it suffers from a couple of things - a low budget that shows at times, and secondly, cuts made due to the MPAA in order to secure an R Rating. The wide released cut version loses its edge a little, an edge that really makes this movie stick in your brain.
The uncut version has some truly staggering gore effects here and there. All practical of course, and it's the kind of violence that genuinely adds to the overall experience.
MBV has plenty of positives to shout about - the on location shoot in a small mining town in Nova Scotia really adds a lot of personality to the back drop, and the whole second half of the film was filmed in a genuine mine. It feels authentic and genuine as a result.
The characters are all working class regular Joes as well, and feel relatable.
The killer, [spoiler alert] AKA Harry Warden, has of course earned a place in horror history. The gas mask and jumpsuit get up he wears alongside his humble pickaxe makes for a minimalist yet memorable villain.
There are better slashers out there for sure, but My Bloody Valentine is still a pretty damn good watch, especially on Valentine's Day - it works as a film to get cosy too with someone special, whilst simultaneously being a good tonic for someone who fucking hates everything about it. A stroke of genius in that respect!
Tweet Cute
8.0
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A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life...
Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Maggie Hope Mystery, #1)
8.5
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London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat...
The Rest of The Story
7.7
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Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Belfast (2021) in Movies
Jan 14, 2022
In short, Belfast is a very human and truly wonderful piece of cinema.
It's visual style is both stunning and simple, and is brimming with plenty of striking imagery.
It's themes are rich. The setting explores the civil unrest between Protestants and Catholics in 1960s Belfast. This turbulent moment in time is a constant presence for sure, but the main bulk of the narrative deals with a working class family who are struggling with debt, and are looking to potentially relocate to England in light of the city wide violence. The very heart of the story though is found in Buddy, the young son of the family who is dealing with growing up and not wanting to leave. Buddy's actor, Jude Hill, is excellent. He embodies innocent childhood and the adventure that comes with it. He's an 11 year old actor, holding his own against screen veterans such as Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench (both fantastic as always).
Other than Buddy, most of the heavy lifting is undertaken by the mother, played by Caitriona Balfe, who really deserves an Academy Nomination for her role here. Jamie Dornan also stars, who proved to be a pleasant surprise for me, only knowing him from the obvious, and is a welcome addition to an all round stellar cast. Throughout this, the narrative touches upon loss and loneliness, and the moments of life that manage to be bittersweet.
Belfast is a sometimes heartwarming, powerful, occasionally funny, and often melancholy tale told with a lot of love and care. Kenneth Branagh has delivered a slice of cinematic gold.
It's visual style is both stunning and simple, and is brimming with plenty of striking imagery.
It's themes are rich. The setting explores the civil unrest between Protestants and Catholics in 1960s Belfast. This turbulent moment in time is a constant presence for sure, but the main bulk of the narrative deals with a working class family who are struggling with debt, and are looking to potentially relocate to England in light of the city wide violence. The very heart of the story though is found in Buddy, the young son of the family who is dealing with growing up and not wanting to leave. Buddy's actor, Jude Hill, is excellent. He embodies innocent childhood and the adventure that comes with it. He's an 11 year old actor, holding his own against screen veterans such as Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench (both fantastic as always).
Other than Buddy, most of the heavy lifting is undertaken by the mother, played by Caitriona Balfe, who really deserves an Academy Nomination for her role here. Jamie Dornan also stars, who proved to be a pleasant surprise for me, only knowing him from the obvious, and is a welcome addition to an all round stellar cast. Throughout this, the narrative touches upon loss and loneliness, and the moments of life that manage to be bittersweet.
Belfast is a sometimes heartwarming, powerful, occasionally funny, and often melancholy tale told with a lot of love and care. Kenneth Branagh has delivered a slice of cinematic gold.
Where Treetops Glisten In White Christmas, It a story about Abigail Turner who is a college student during War World 2. She has a part time job at a Candy Shop. She loss her boyfriend due to the war. Those when she waiting for the bus after class, she almost get run over by her bus and a young man saves her before things get worse.A young man get on the bus with her and he decides to sit next to her. He reads a letter he received. He does not know what do about the letter. Abigail offers to help him by saying he should stop by her place to talk to her father. As keeps going it get better and better. There a mystery in the story. There are twist and turns though out the book.In I’ll Be Home for Christmas, is a story about Pete Turner, Abigail's brother. He is home from the war for a month or so. He run into a little girl that was looking into the window and praying. He takes her home and runs into her widow mother.
Will Pete be able to redeem himself and help the little girl? The little girl thinks she found her new daddy. Will it all out you will have to read to find out. Abigail and her boyfriend Jackson discussion their wedding plans. You see Abigail and Jackson get married during this story as well. You meet Merry during this story as well for a bit of time. There a more twist and turns though this story as well.
In Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, We learn about Merry life. We see her working in the Army as well. She is an Army nurse and is working in Europe. She and her friends are trying to help wounded soldiers from the front line.
Merry boyfriend had run away at the beginning the is doing his duty by trying to save children. Merry does not know he is near by. Soon she see him for the first time in a long time. Though he is hiding out, Will things work out for Merry? You will need to read to find out.
Will Pete be able to redeem himself and help the little girl? The little girl thinks she found her new daddy. Will it all out you will have to read to find out. Abigail and her boyfriend Jackson discussion their wedding plans. You see Abigail and Jackson get married during this story as well. You meet Merry during this story as well for a bit of time. There a more twist and turns though this story as well.
In Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, We learn about Merry life. We see her working in the Army as well. She is an Army nurse and is working in Europe. She and her friends are trying to help wounded soldiers from the front line.
Merry boyfriend had run away at the beginning the is doing his duty by trying to save children. Merry does not know he is near by. Soon she see him for the first time in a long time. Though he is hiding out, Will things work out for Merry? You will need to read to find out.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Wings (1927) in Movies
Dec 8, 2019
Verdict: Beautiful Portray of Love & War
Story: Wings starts as two young men Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (Arlen) both sign up to become fighter pilots in the First World War, they are from different backgrounds, with Jack working with his hands, which has seen him get the attention of Mary Preston (Bow) and David being rich, with the pair both seeking the attention of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston).
What starts out in rivalry soon becomes friendship between the two men as through their training, they learn they need to be on the same side and want the same thing from their time in the service. They are followed by Mary who has taken up a job where she delivers medical supplies to troops, all while her love for Jack continues to grow.
Thoughts on Wings
Characters – Mary Preston has worked with Jack Powell for years, they work on cars and her love for Jack is clear, she doesn’t get the attention she desires of him though, with the men at war, she uses her driving skills to deliver medical supplies, hoping to find Jack too, which sees her needing to find a way to act more lady like for the era. Jack Powell is from the working class bracket of people, he has always been great with cars and mechanics, which sees him sign up for the air force during world war 1, he will do what he can get impress the rich Sylvia to whom he loves and after years of rivalry with David, they will become friends. David Armstrong has come from a rich family, he is set to be marrying Sylvia one day if the families have their say, he sees Jack as a rival, until they fight side by side in the skies. Sylvia is the woman that both men are fighting for the attention of, they both see her as the perfect woman and will go to lengths to impress her.
Performances – This being a silent movie, all the work from the actors in the film comes from face expressions and movements, which they are all fantastic with, Clara Bow shows the pain of being in love with somebody who doesn’t want you, while Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen show the rivalry men can have when it comes to women.
Story – The story here follows two men from different backgrounds, one rich one working class, that are both fighting for the same woman, who join the air force to impress, where they become friends and learn the horrors of war. This is a story that is one that shows that love can be something people will always do crazy things for, it shows how the war bought enemies together and for a movie made in 1927, showed us a strong female character willing to go into war, unlike many films for years to come. Being a silent movie, we do get the expression and action doing a lot of the storytelling around the dialogue which is interesting because it keeps away a lot of unnecessary dialogue certain war films turn too.
Romance/War – The romance in this film shows how people will do strange things for love, you might not always see it right under your nose either, with the war being the main location that our characters all go to impress, the dog fight scenes are brilliant to watch, with the use of music making a big impact on the quality too.
Settings – The film uses the settings you would expect to see the war fought at, while we see the ground shots, it is when we are in the sky watching the dog fights that we get to feel the peril the characters are going through.
Scene of the Movie – Any of the dog fights.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does play into stereotypes of other nationalities.
Final Thoughts – This is a genius war movie that rightly deserved to win the first Oscar, it brings us a story that shows how much people would have risked for war and just how far they would go for love.
Overall: Brilliant.
Story: Wings starts as two young men Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (Arlen) both sign up to become fighter pilots in the First World War, they are from different backgrounds, with Jack working with his hands, which has seen him get the attention of Mary Preston (Bow) and David being rich, with the pair both seeking the attention of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston).
What starts out in rivalry soon becomes friendship between the two men as through their training, they learn they need to be on the same side and want the same thing from their time in the service. They are followed by Mary who has taken up a job where she delivers medical supplies to troops, all while her love for Jack continues to grow.
Thoughts on Wings
Characters – Mary Preston has worked with Jack Powell for years, they work on cars and her love for Jack is clear, she doesn’t get the attention she desires of him though, with the men at war, she uses her driving skills to deliver medical supplies, hoping to find Jack too, which sees her needing to find a way to act more lady like for the era. Jack Powell is from the working class bracket of people, he has always been great with cars and mechanics, which sees him sign up for the air force during world war 1, he will do what he can get impress the rich Sylvia to whom he loves and after years of rivalry with David, they will become friends. David Armstrong has come from a rich family, he is set to be marrying Sylvia one day if the families have their say, he sees Jack as a rival, until they fight side by side in the skies. Sylvia is the woman that both men are fighting for the attention of, they both see her as the perfect woman and will go to lengths to impress her.
Performances – This being a silent movie, all the work from the actors in the film comes from face expressions and movements, which they are all fantastic with, Clara Bow shows the pain of being in love with somebody who doesn’t want you, while Charles Rogers and Richard Arlen show the rivalry men can have when it comes to women.
Story – The story here follows two men from different backgrounds, one rich one working class, that are both fighting for the same woman, who join the air force to impress, where they become friends and learn the horrors of war. This is a story that is one that shows that love can be something people will always do crazy things for, it shows how the war bought enemies together and for a movie made in 1927, showed us a strong female character willing to go into war, unlike many films for years to come. Being a silent movie, we do get the expression and action doing a lot of the storytelling around the dialogue which is interesting because it keeps away a lot of unnecessary dialogue certain war films turn too.
Romance/War – The romance in this film shows how people will do strange things for love, you might not always see it right under your nose either, with the war being the main location that our characters all go to impress, the dog fight scenes are brilliant to watch, with the use of music making a big impact on the quality too.
Settings – The film uses the settings you would expect to see the war fought at, while we see the ground shots, it is when we are in the sky watching the dog fights that we get to feel the peril the characters are going through.
Scene of the Movie – Any of the dog fights.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does play into stereotypes of other nationalities.
Final Thoughts – This is a genius war movie that rightly deserved to win the first Oscar, it brings us a story that shows how much people would have risked for war and just how far they would go for love.
Overall: Brilliant.